Family demands transparency for victim of officer-involved shooting
SAN MARCOS — “Don’t say no mo’, release the video!” echoed through the crowd that gathered at The Cephas House in San Marcos at noon on Monday for a press conference, hosted by the attorneys for the family of the victim in an officer-involved shooting on Dec. 12. The family of Joshua Leon Wright, 36, an inmate in the Hays County Jail who was being held prior to his trial for several misdemeanors, is demanding transparency in the form of body camera footage from Hays County Jail corrections officer Isaiah Garcia.
Photo by Natalie Frels
Ben Crump, right, walks with Beverly Wright, middle, the mother of Joshua Leon Wright — the pretrial detainee who was killed by corrections officer Isaiah Garcia — along with Wright's daughter, Xyrrena Wright, 13.[/caption]
According to the second autopsy requested by the family, Garcia shot Wright six times as the inmate allegedly attempted to flee.
Beverly Wright, the mother of the deceased, was comforted by local attorney Chevo Pastrano as attorney Ben Crump addressed the crowd and a gaggle of reporters.
Crump, who has represented families of victims involved in high-profile officer-involved shootings, cited a Facebook post by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT) posted on the day of the incident which claimed that Wright threatened hospital staff with a sharp medical instrument.
“We are challenging CLEAT to release the video showing Joshua Wright had a sharp medical device in his hand and if he didn’t have a sharp medical device in his hand, we, as a community, have to challenge them: ‘Why are you lying?’ People only lie when they know it’s not justified.”
In a statement issued by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, Wright allegedly assaulted Garcia in an attempt to escape.
Pastrano described the findings of the legal team’s own investigation, which includes a second autopsy requested at the behest of the family. Their findings, however, are “limited,” as the HCSO has not released the footage from Garcia’s body camera, Pastrano said.
According to their investigation, Wright suffered a medical emergency, which required his transport by two officers to Ascension Seton Hays in the early hours of Dec. 12. After several hours, the officers were relieved by Garcia — “the sole jailer in custody of Wright,” the attorney explained. At some point in time, Wright’s handcuffs were removed so that he could use the bathroom, although his feet remained shackled. While washing his hands, a scuffle ensued between Wright and Garcia. After a “shove” by Wright, who attempted to flee, at which point, Garcia fired his service weapon and struck the victim six times, with one shot entering the spinal cord — what Pastrano described as paralyzing.
“Only at that point did it come to the very disgusting realization that Officer Garcia continued to fire upon Wright,” the attorney said.
According to Pastrano, one of the six shots entered his lower chest, went through the torso and came to rest in the victim’s neck, indicating that the round was fired when Wright was already on the ground.
Photo by Natalie Frels
Xyrrena Wright, 13, is the daughter of Joshua Leon Wright, the inmate who was shot while in custody at the Hays County Jail.[/caption]
“We stand here because there’s no excuse, no reasonable explanation why a man in shackles should ever be fired upon even once,” Pastrano said. “There are all kinds of less than lethal ways to stop a man from shuffling away than shooting upon him … We want to get justice for Joshua and the only way we will be able to do that is if we can view the video that we so desperately want to view.”
Members of the Wright family also took their turn to speak of their loved one at the press conference on Monday. His brother’s voice trembled as Christopher Clark shared more about Wright, while the victim’s 13-year-old daughter clutched the edges of a framed photograph of her father.
“He would give you the shirt off his back,” Clark said. “They took something from me that cannot be replaced and I just want to know why. Why? It’s so overwhelming. I’m very angry. And these people need to be held accountable for what they’ve done.”
Wright’s mother Beverly said, “Joshua was a happy-go-lucky fella. He was a gentle giant … he struggled with a lot of things. He wasn’t perfect, but he was my son. He was my son! Why did they have to kill my baby boy? I want to know why. If it was his fault, I can accept it, but show us the video.”
She also expressed her dismay at the lack of communication between the family and the Hays County Sheriff’s Office — a sentiment echoed by the team of lawyers, who said the family has not heard a word from the law enforcement agency since the notification of Wright’s death.
As the press conference drew to a close, the legal team and family encouraged the community to reach out to the county commissioners to demand transparency and release the body camera footage.
“Everybody, show up to the commissioners meeting [Tuesday morning],” Crump said. “Our message is simple: ‘Release the video.’”
The Hays County Sheriff’s Office has declined to release information regarding the ongoing investigation, which is currently under the direction of the Texas Rangers.
In response to a question from the Hays Free Press, Crump said that should charges not be filed against Garcia, the family will pursue all forms of justice for Wright.
“We’re going to explore every possible legal remedy to get this family some sense of justice,” the attorney said. “Anything that can be afforded to any citizen by the Constitution, we will pursue for Joshua Wright.”
